Dielectric fluids compositions and methods

ABSTRACT

Green compositions and technologies are provided. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method of providing dielectric fluids, heat transfer fluids or cooling fluids. The dielectric fluid, heat transfer fluid, or cooling fluid can comprise one or more by-product or co-product containing glyceride and fatty acid mixtures extracted from an ethanol process. In an embodiment, the present invention provides compositions of dielectric fluids, heat transfer fluids or cooling fluids. The dielectric fluid, heat transfer fluid, or cooling fluid can comprise one or more glyceride and fatty acid mixtures extracted from an ethanol process.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/578,792, filed Dec., 21, 2011, the entire teachingsand disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to methods and compositions useful ingreen technologies. More specifically, the present invention relates toglycerides and fatty acid mixtures derived from ethanol processes asco-products or by-products. These mixtures can be applied in the presentinvention for use as a dielectric fluid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dielectric fluid does not conduct an electric current. It is an electricinsulating and cooling material used in many electrical equipment,including transformers, capacitors, regulators, and conductors.Typically, dielectric fluids are derived from petroleum oil. Vegetableoil have been considered as a replacement. The present invention offersan economic alternative.

The present invention can provide heat transfer and cooling mechanism toany process, engine and/or equipment needing heat transfer. The presentinvention is non-hazardous, is derived from renewable resources, andbeing a by-product offers economic advantage. It can be used to replaceexisting dielectric fluids or heat transfer fluids, including coolantfluids.

It is therefore novel, useful, non-obvious, and desirable to provide andutilize cost-effective, non-hazardous, and effective dielectric fluidcompositions. It is therefore novel, useful, non-obvious, and desirableto provide and utilize cost-effective, non-hazardous, and effective heattransfer and coolant compositions. The art described in this section isnot intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication orother information referred to herein is “Prior Art” with respect to thisinvention, unless specifically designated as such. In addition, thissection should not be construed to mean that a search has been made orthat no other pertinent information as defined in 37 CFR § 1.56(a)exists.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

At least one embodiment of the invention is directed to compositions ofdielectric fluids. The dielectric fluid composition comprises at leastone by-product or co-product extracted from an ethanol process.

At least one embodiment of the invention is directed to compositions ofheat transfer and coolant fluids.

At least one embodiment of the invention is directed to compositions ofdielectric fluids, where the majority of the dielectric fluids compriseby-products of this invention. At least one embodiment of the inventionis directed to compositions of dielectric fluids, where theconcentration the dielectric fluids comprises by-products of thisinvention in excess fifty percent by weight. At least one embodiment ofthe invention is directed to compositions of dielectric fluids, wherethe dielectric fluids comprise by-products of this invention, and otherdielectric fluids and/or additives. The additive can include freezepoint depressants.

At least one embodiment of the invention is directed to methods of usinginsulating, heat transfer, and cooling fluids, where the majority of thedielectric fluids comprises by-products of this invention.

At least one embodiment of the invention is directed to methods ofdielectric fluids, heat transfer fluids, and cooling fluids, where theconcentration the dielectric fluids, heat transfer fluids, and coolingfluids comprises by-products of this invention in excess of fiftypercent by weight. At least one embodiment of the invention is directedto methods of dielectric fluids, heat transfer fluids, and coolingfluids, where the dielectric fluids, heat transfer fluids, and coolingfluids comprises by-products of this invention and other dielectricfluids, heat transfer fluids, and cooling fluids and/or additives. Theadditive can include freeze point depressants.

The by-product or co-product from ethanol manufacturing, or glyceridesand fatty acid mixtures, may contain from 5 percent by weight to 25percent by weight free fatty acids. The glycerides and fatty acidmixtures may comprise one or more component selected from a list oflinoleic acid, phytosterols, hydroxycinnamatesteryl esters, lutein, andzeaxanthin. The glyceride and fatty acid mixtures may be extracted fromthe thin stillage of a dry mill corn ethanol plant or from thedistillers grains and solubles of a dry mill corn ethanol plant. Thehydroxycinnamate steryl esters concentration may range from 0.3 to 0.5weight percent. The tocopherols concentration may be less than 150 mgper 100 g of glycerides and fatty acid mixtures. In an embodiment thetocopherols' concentration is 150 mg per 100 g of glycerides and fattyacid mixtures or less.

The by-product or co-product containing fatty glyceride and fatty acidmixtures may be applied as an emulsion. The glycerides and fatty acidmixtures, or by-products, may be combined with other existing dielectricfluids, heat transfer fluids, cooling fluids, and additives. At least aportion (up to 100%) of the glycerides and fatty acid mixtures may beextracted from an ethanol process. The glycerides and fatty acidmixtures may further comprise one or more component selected from a listof linoleic acid, phytosterols, tocopherols, hydroxycinnamatesterylesters, lutein, zeaxanthin, carotenoids, and any combination thereof.The glyceride and fatty acid mixtures may be extracted from the thinstillage of a dry mill corn ethanol plant or from the distillers grainsand solubles of a dry mill corn ethanol plant. The hydroxycinnamatesteryl esters concentration may be within the range of 0.3 to 0.5 weightpercent. The tocopherols concentration may be less than 150 mg per 100 gof glycerides and fatty acid mixtures.

Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will beapparent from the following Detailed Description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following definitions are provided to determine how terms used inthis application, and in particular how the claims, are to be construed.The organization of the definitions is for convenience only and is notintended to limit any of the definitions to any particular category.

For purposes of this application the definition of these terms is asfollows: “Dielectric” means an electric insulator that can be polarizedby an applied electric field. When a dielectric is placed in an electricfield, electric charges do not flow as they do in a conductor.Dielectric is typically used to describe materials with highpolarizability. Insulator implies low electrical conduction. Dielectricfluids can provide cooling or heat transfer properties.

“Glycerides and fatty acid mixtures” means mixtures extracted from anethanol process comprising both glycerides and fatty acid. Thesemixtures are by-products or co-product of an ethanol manufacturingprocess.

In the event that the above definitions or a description statedelsewhere in this application is inconsistent with a meaning (explicitor implicit) which is commonly used, in a dictionary, or stated in asource incorporated by reference into this application, the applicationand the claim terms in particular are understood to be construedaccording to the definition or description in this application, and notaccording to the common definition, dictionary definition, or thedefinition that was incorporated by reference. In light of the above, inthe event that a term can only be understood if it is construed by adictionary, if the term is defined by the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia ofChemical Technology, 5th Edition, (2005), (Published by Wiley, John &Sons, Inc.) this definition shall control how the term is to be definedin the claims.

In at least one embodiment, the invention provides a method of using byproducts from ethanol manufacturing as a dielectric fluid. Thedielectric fluid composition can comprise one or more glycerides andfatty acid mixtures derived from an ethanol process.

In at least one embodiment, the co-product or by-product that comprisesglycerides and fatty acid mixtures can be generated from an ethanolprocess. In an ethanol process, the extraction of the glycerides andfatty acid mixtures can be referred to as corn oil extraction. Onemethod of extracting corn oil is through recovery from the stillageand/or the distillers grains and solubles produced by a dry corn ethanolplant. In an embodiment, the glycerides and fatty acid mixtures containsabout 5 to 25 weight percent free fatty acids. In another embodiment theby-product or co-product contains 5% free fatty acids by weight orgreater. Linoleic acid is typically the predominant fatty acid. Theglycerides and fatty acid mixtures can contain other components thatinclude phytosterols, hydroxycinnamate steryl esters, lutein, andzeaxanthin.

In at least one embodiment, the glyceride and fatty acid mixtures areextracted from an ethanol process. In an embodiment, the glyceride andfatty acid mixtures contain linoleic acid.

In at least one embodiment, the dielectric fluid composition comprisesone or more glycerides and fatty acid mixtures derived from an ethanolmanufacturing process. In an embodiment the ethanol process is a fuelethanol process. In an embodiment the ethanol process is a food orbeverage ethanol process.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide cost-effectivedielectric fluids, heat transfer fluids or cooling fluids.

In at least one embodiment, the dielectric fluid, heat transfer fluid,and/or cooing fluid's composition comprises glycerides and fatty acidmixtures. The glycerides and fatty acid mixtures can comprise linoleicacids and one or more components selected from a list comprising ofphytosterols, tocopherols, hydroxycinnamate steryl esters, lutein,zeaxanthin, and carotenoids.

The by-product or co-product or glycerides and fatty acids mixtures aregenerally environmentally benign and non-hazardous. The glycerides andfatty acid mixtures are also non-combustible and can provide benefits inapplications where there is a “high” flash point requirement. Theby-products can be used to supplement or replace conventional dielectricfluids, heat transfer fluids, or cooling fluids thereby reducing thedependency on such environmentally unfriendly material. The presentinvention offers an added benefit of not posing any environmental and/orhuman health hazard if discharged into the environment.

In at least one embodiment the glycerides and fatty acid mixtures areco-products or by-products of an ethanol process. They are consideredgreen compositions because they are non-hazardous and are derived fromnatural, renewable resources. These renewable resources include corncrop.

Algae can be used to produce ethanol. The by-product of the presentinvention can be derived from ethanol produced from algae.

Ethanol can be derived from corn utilizing a dry milling process, wherethe entire corn kennel is ground into flour, and mixed with water.Enzymes are added to convert the starch to sugar. Yeast is then added toconvert the sugar to ethanol. The solution, commonly referred to aswash, meal, beer mash or sour mash, is then distilled separating theethanol from the remaining portion or stillage, commonly referred to asthe whole stillage, thick stillage, or thick slop. The nonfermentableparts are separated. The solids are combined into feed co-product calleddistillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS). The liquid portion, whichcan contain some solids, is referred to as the thin stillage. Glycerideand fatty acid mixtures can be extracted from the thin stillage and/orthe DDGS. The present invention or by-product or co-product can bereferred to as “post fermentation corn oil”.

Because vegetable oils are produced by solvent extraction; some of theimpurities in the crude oil, such as free fatty acids and phospholipids,are removed from crude vegetable oils by alkali refining andprecipitation. This makes the present invention differs from vegetableoil or edible oil. The present invention differs from the commercialvegetable oils. The commercial vegetable oils are refined, bleached anddeodorized (RBD). Generally, RBD commercial corn oil contains zero freefatty acids. As a result, the prior art teaches away any intent toutilize the glycerides and fatty acid mixtures derived from an ethanolprocess.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,497,955 and 7,566,469 and U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/949850 disclose methods of dewatering thin stillage from anethanol process utilizing polymers. The present invention can beextracted from different phases of the ethanol process. Various methodsare disclosed for improving the capture efficiency of the oil fromseveral streams of the ethanol process such as the dry milling processof making both food and fuel grade ethanol from corn. In at least oneembodiment, in an ethanol process, ethanol is retrieved from the beermash in a stripper column and the remaining corn stillage solids aredewatered and a rich supply of glycerides and fatty acid mixtures arerecovered from the corn stillage solids.

In at least one embodiment, glycerides and fatty acid mixtures arederived as a by-product from an ethanol process. As described in apublished article—“The Composition of Crude Corn Oil Recovered afterFermentation via Centrifugation from a Commercial Dry Grind EthanolProcess”, Jul. 26, 2010, [Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society,87:895-902; authors are Robert Moreau, Kevin Hicks, David Johnston, andNathan Laun] the composition of these by-products are quite differentfrom commercial corn oil and unrefined corn oil, and as a result, thepresent invention marked effectiveness is unexpected. For example, thelevels of free fatty acids in the post fermentation corn oil are higherthan in the RBD oil or unrefined oil. The levels of free sterols andhydroxycinnamate steryl esters in the present invention are also higherthan in commercial oil. Levels of hydroxycinnamate steryl esters in theby-product ranged about 0.3 to 0.5 weight percent, while levels ofhydroxycinnamate in commercial corn oil was non-detected. Moreover, thecarotenoids levels are much higher in the by-product at concentrationsabove 250 micrograms per gram of by-product. In an embodiment, thecarotenoids level is 250 micrograms per gram of by-product, or greater.

Moreover, because of the exposure to all upstream processes of a fuelethanol plant, including high-temperature liquefaction,saccharification, and fermentation, the byproduct has lowered levels oftocopherols. Tocopherols in commercial vegetable oil that is unrefinedwere reported to be about 319 mg per 100 g of oil. Tocopherols in thepresent invention averaged about 100 mg per 100 g of oil.

Recent federal ruling mandates that 15 billion gallons of corn basedethanol are to be used in commerce by 2022. EPA recognized extraction ofthe glycerides and fatty acid stream from a fuel ethanol processes isbeneficial in terms of ethanol process improvements and loweringgreenhouse gas emissions from a holistic ethanol life cycle perspective.One benefit is utilizing the glycerides and fatty acid mixtures as afeedstock to make biodiesel. It is estimated that 0.5 pound to 1.4 poundof glycerides and fatty acid mixtures can be derived from a bushel ofcorn used for ethanol production.

In at least one embodiment, the invention provides methods of utilizingthe by-product in dielectric, heat transfer and cooling applications.The dielectric fluid compositions can also be used in conjunction withother suitable dielectric fluid additives. The additive can includefreeze point depressants. The glycerides and fatty acid mixtures can beused in dielectric applications, or heat transfer or coolingapplications.

In at least one embodiment, the method includes utilizing the by-productin dielectric fluid applications. The dielectric fluid composition cancomprise one or more glycerides and fatty acid mixtures.

In at least one embodiment the glycerides and fatty acid mixtures isapplied as an emulsion. Emulsions of the glyceride and fatty acidmixtures can help to disperse the mixtures, obtaining similarperformance at less active concentration. The emulsion can contain anemulsion stabilizing reagent.

While this invention may be embodied in many different forms describedin detail herein specific preferred embodiments of the invention. Thepresent disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of theinvention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particularembodiments illustrated. All patents, patent applications, scientificpapers, and any other referenced materials mentioned herein areincorporated by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, the inventionencompasses any possible combination of some or all of the variousembodiments described herein and incorporated herein.

The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive.This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one ofordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations areintended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term“comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. Those familiar withthe art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodimentsdescribed herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassedby the claims.

All ranges and parameters disclosed herein are understood to encompassany and all subranges subsumed therein, and every number between theendpoints. For example, a stated range of “1 to 10” should be consideredto include any and all subranges between (and inclusive of) the minimumvalue of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginningwith a minimum value of 1 or more, (e.g. 1 to 6.1), and ending with amaximum value of 10 or less, (e.g. 2.3 to 9.4, 3 to 8, 4 to 7), andfinally to each number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 containedwithin the range.

This completes the description of the preferred and alternateembodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognizeother equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein whichequivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attachedhereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A composition of dielectric fluid wherein thedielectric fluid composition comprises at least one by-product orco-product comprising glycerides and fatty acid mixtures extracted froman ethanol process, wherein the composition further comprises a freefatty acid, and wherein the free fatty acid concentration is about 5%.2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the glycerides and fatty acidmixtures contain 5 percent by weight of free fatty acids or greater. 3.The composition of claim 2, wherein the glyceride and fatty acidmixtures is extracted from one of the thin stillage of a dry mill cornethanol plant or from the distillers grains and soluble of a dry millcorn ethanol plant.
 4. The composition of claim 1, wherein theglycerides and fatty acid mixtures further comprise one or morecomponent selected from a list consisting of linoleic acid,phytosterols, tocopherols, hydroxycinnamate steryl esters, lutein,—zeaxanthin, and carotenoids.
 5. The composition of claim 4, wherein thetocopherols' concentration is 150 mg per 100 g of glycerides and fattyacid mixtures, or less.
 6. The composition of claim 4, wherein thecarotenoids' concentration is 250 microgram per gram of glycerides andfatty acid mixtures, or greater.
 7. The composition of claim 1, whereinthe glycerides and fatty acid mixtures are combined with one or more ofdielectric fluid.
 8. A dielectric composition comprising at least oneglycerides and fatty acid mixtures extracted from an ethanol process,wherein the mixtures further comprise free fatty acids and wherein thefree fatty acid concentration is about 5%.
 9. The composition of claim8, wherein the glycerides and fatty acid mixtures further comprise oneor more component selected from the group consisting of linoleic acid,phytosterols, tocopherols, hydroxycinnamatesteryl esters, lutein,—zeaxanthin, and carotenoids.
 10. The composition of claim 9, whereinthe tocopherols' concentration is 150 mg per 100 g of glycerides andfatty acid mixtures, or less.
 11. The composition of claim 9, whereinthe carotenoids' concentration is 250 microgram per gram of glyceridesand fatty acid mixtures, or more.
 12. The composition of claim 8,wherein the glyceride and fatty acid mixtures is extracted from one ofthe thin stillage of a dry mill corn ethanol plant or from thedistillers grains and solubles of a dry mill corn ethanol plant.